by Bess McBride
“Oh, no, we’re not…” Annie began, but she let the words trail off.
“Not…?”
“We’re not…together.”
Mr. O’Rourke’s eyebrows did shoot up. “Not ‘together?’ How is that possible? I have seen the way you look at each other. Whatever impediment is in your way, I hope that you can find resolution soon. I could not bear to see Rory’s heart broken.”
“I couldn’t either,” Annie whispered. “He’s going away soon, you know.”
“Yes, I do know. To the Orient. I do not imagine that he can cancel that journey, as he has been contracted to photograph for a magazine. But I suspect he now wishes he could cancel the trip.”
“I wouldn’t want him to do that. He loves traveling so much, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, he does,” Mr. O’Rourke agreed. “Almost as much as he loves photography. And perhaps almost as much as he seems to love you.”
Annie smiled. “And you can tell all that from watching us at dinner?”
Mr. O’Rourke twitched his mustache. “I know my son. When I seem him smile without the flirtatious charm, I know that he must be sincere. I saw that last night.” Mr. O’Rourke flashed his own charming smile, and Annie succumbed.
“Oh, goodness. He does get that from you, doesn’t he?”
“It is an O’Rourke trait, I am afraid—one that has gotten the men in my family into trouble more than once.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
“I have kept Letitia waiting too long, I’m afraid. Please accept my best wishes, Miss St. John. I hope to see you soon.”
Mr. O’Rourke tipped his hat and turned to walk into the dining room. Annie stared after him in bemusement. She didn’t doubt that Rory’s mother and father had their troubles, but he seemed to genuinely love his son.
****
Rory came for them in a few hours, and Joseph drove them in the carriage up to a residential area called Capitol Hill where his mother lived. Stately Victorian homes and mansions perched above small grassy rises, which bordered wide boulevards with sidewalks. Soft emerald green lawns fronted the homes and curbs. The residential area looked quite modern compared to some of the downtown buildings and landscaping.
“Miss St. John, Miss Marie!” Eddie said as he greeted them on the front steps of the gabled Victorian house. “I am so pleased to see you. My mother has been looking forward to meeting you.” He escorted them up to the front door, where a butler took Rory’s hat.
Annie, overwhelmed with emotion, smiled tightly. She dreaded their departure on the following day, and consequently dreaded this evening of polite conversation when all she wanted to do was beg Rory to…to what? Keep her? Stay with her? Put up with her? Come back with her? Throw his plans away for her? She didn’t know what she wanted, or more to the point, she didn’t know how she wanted things to turn out. She knew she wanted Rory, but wanting someone didn’t make that person hers.
“Miss St. John, Miss Marie!” Mrs. O’Rourke came forward—a small, petite, dark-haired woman whose vibrancy was unmistakable. She wore a black satin dinner dress, which set her hair off to perfection. Annie herself wore her peach dinner gown and Marie wore her lavender gown from the night before. Rory looked splendid in coat and tails, as did Eddie. Although the men carried their father’s height and smile, they had their mother’s coloring.
“How delightful that you could come to dinner. Won’t you come into the drawing room and have a glass of champagne?” Mrs. O’Rourke led the way to the drawing room, a beautiful, ivy-wallpapered room with soft moss-colored furniture and carpet.
“Rory, pour us a drink, will you?”
Rory poured champagne while his mother, Annie and Marie positioned themselves on the velvet sofa. Eddie perched on a matching chair just opposite, enthusiastically regarding Annie.
“Eddie, dear, could you please stop staring at the ladies?” his mother said in a dry tone. “They are beautiful indeed, but I am certain they are uncomfortable under your scrutiny.”
Unabashed, Eddie laughed. “I will try, Mother, but it will not be easy.”
Marie laughed, and even Annie managed a chuckle. The boy was irrepressible.
“Are you well, Annie?” Rory whispered as he bent to hand her a drink. “You are quiet this evening.”
“I’m fine, thank you, Rory. Just tired, I think. Maybe stressed.”
“Stressed?” Eddie caught part of the exchange. “What does that mean?”
Annie colored, and Marie nudged her in the ribs. “Oh, sorry, an old Chicago expression. Ummm…stressed, anxious.”
“And what has made you anxious, Miss St. John?” Mrs. O’Rourke asked. Rory had taken a seat near his brother and awaited her answer. “I certainly hope not our invitation to dinner. We are all family here.”
“No, no,” Annie murmured. “Probably just about returning tomorrow…to Chicago.”
“What?” Eddie said. “Returning to Chicago? Tomorrow? But you only just got here, didn’t you?” He looked toward his brother. “Rory, you didn’t say they were going back so soon. Can you not stay longer?”
“Eddie!” Rory remonstrated. “Do not harangue the ladies. They were only visiting Seattle for a few days and now they must return. I did not really know myself until today that they would leave so soon.”
“I agree with Rory, dear. You must not implore them so. It isn’t polite.” She turned to Annie and Marie. “My youngest son is quite taken with you. He has talked of nothing all day except the beautiful Misses St. John, and his crewing team.” She beamed at him with pride. “Though I am disappointed not to be able to see more of you as well, I can understand your desire to return home. I have not been to Chicago for many years. Tell us about the city. It must have changed so much.”
Annie and Marie exchanged glances.
“Well…” Marie began.
“It has changed much, Mother, even I can assure you of that. It has grown large, crowded and busy, much like Seattle has. I am not sure you would like it.”
“Oh, dear, Rory, you will give the ladies a poor opinion of me. I am not such a fuddy-duddy that I begrudge a city its vibrancy. Your father and I loved Chicago, especially the opera and the symphony. Tell me, do they still have the cabarets?” Mrs. O’Rourke pressed a hand to her throat, and her cheeks reddened. “I must say those were very risqué, but I so enjoyed those, and Rory’s father indulged my every whim.” Her face took on a wistful expression.
Annie noticed that Rory and Eddie regarded her with surprise.
“Mother, you surprise me,” Rory said faintly. “Cabarets?”
“What are cabarets?” Eddie said.
“Nightclubs,” Mrs. O’Rourke said. “With dancing and drinking and decadent shows—all very exciting for a young married couple. Not at all suitable for you, young man.” She wagged a finger at her youngest son and rose. “I think dinner must be ready. Shall we?”
Annie looked at Marie and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. She supposed they still had a cabaret or two in Chicago, but she really had no idea. Marie might know that better, as her social life was more active than Annie’s.
They made their way into the dining room—a massive, high-ceilinged room centered on a table for twenty or so guests. Annie surveyed the room with awe. Three large crystal chandeliers lit the room with brilliant light. Pale yellow and gold-patterned wallpaper adorned the walls, topped by various paintings with Northwest themes of evergreen trees and water. The place settings, silverware and crystal stemware were stunning. Rory’s family was clearly very wealthy, but Annie had already known that.
They settled at one end of the table. Mrs. O’Rourke took the seat at the head of the table with Marie to her left and Annie to her right. She placed Rory next to Annie, and Eddie next to Marie.
Dinner was delightful. Luckily, Eddie and Mrs. O’Rourke kept up a lively banter because Annie and Marie were uncertain of what to say. Rory seemed quiet.
They had reached the dinner course when the butler entered the room and whis
pered in Mrs. O’Rourke’s ear.
“Tell him I have guests and cannot see him,” she spoke in a low voice, but Annie heard her and apparently so did Eddie.
“Who is it, Mother? Is it Father?” His mother nodded. “I’d like to see him.” He jumped up and left the room. The butler followed him.
“Forgive my son’s manners, ladies. His father has stopped by quite out of the blue, and he has not seen him in some days. I will just go see what he wants.” She rose from the table but slipped back into her seat as Eddie dragged his father back into the dining room.
“Father, meet Miss Annie St. John and Miss Marie St. John.”
“Eddie! What on earth—” Rory jumped up. “Sir, why would you come to this house unannounced at dinnertime?”
Mr. O’Rourke looked thoroughly confused. “I apologize. I did not know you had company, my dear. I was on the verge of leaving but Eddie brought me in here without, I might add, explaining that you had guests. I imagine that is what Smith was trying to tell me when Eddie grabbed my arm.”
“We were almost done,” Mrs. O’Rourke said. “Miss St. John, Miss Marie, this is my husband, Harold O’Rourke, Senior.”
“We’ve met,” Annie said with a warm smile and a nod in his direction.
“Yes, at the hotel,” Mr. O’Rourke said. “So nice to see you again.”
Annie noted that Rory gave her a strange look, but she ignored him. The man clearly only had eyes for his wife. Whatever womanizing he had done in the past didn’t change the look of love on his face.
“I will meet you in the library, Hal. Rory, please take our guests back to the drawing room for coffee. Thank you.”
Mrs. O’Rourke flounced out of the dining room, a tiny package of irate black satin and curls. Mr. O’Rourke sighed with a rueful expression and turned to follow her.
“My deepest apologies,” Rory muttered. “My family has gone mad.” He retook his seat and downed his glass of champagne.
“I would bet words are flying furiously right about now, especially from Mother,” Eddie said with a certain amount of undutiful glee. Rory shot his brother a baleful glance.
“Your father still seems to be very much in love with your mother, Rory,” Annie offered tentatively. “I think that whatever is going on between them isn’t because they don’t love each other.”
“He did seem repentant,” Marie offered. “I don’t know what he’s done, but he seems nice.”
“Love?” Rory turned to Annie. “Love? My father doesn’t know the meaning of the word. He has put my mother through years of grief. You saw him with that young woman at the restaurant…just last night.”
“Letitia Cambridge,” Annie said. “Yes, I met her this morning.”
“My father had the gall to introduce his…” Rory searched for words.
Annie couldn’t resist the imp on her shoulder. “Paramour?”
Rory gave her a narrow look. “Yes, that will do. Paramour. My father introduced her to you?”
Annie relented. Rory looked absolutely furious.
“Yes, but Rory, he says she’s the daughter of a colleague, an old friend. Letitia is recently widowed, and he’s been helping her getting settled. I think her husband worked in Alaska.”
Rory stared hard at her. “Cambridge?” He looked at Eddie. “Mr. Cambridge from the bank? Didn’t he have a daughter who moved to Alaska?”
Eddie nodded. “Yes, that sounds right.”
“He assured me that it wasn’t what it looked like, Rory. He loves you, you know. Both of you,” Annie said. She downed her own glass of champagne with the feeling that she was way in over her head.
Rory drew in a deep breath. “I do not doubt that, Annie, and although perhaps this time, my father is not flaunting an affair, he has treated my mother abominably for many years.”
“Maybe he’s sorry. Maybe that’s what he came here to say,” Marie said.
Rory shook his head. “I do not think my mother would have him back. She was quite adamant about obtaining a divorce when I spoke to her only a few days ago.”
“Would you be upset if they reconciled, Rory? I can’t tell.” Annie tilted her head to study his expression.
Rory regarded her for a moment, his eyes softening. “Perhaps a few days ago, I might have argued the matter, but for some reason, I feel more empathetic at the moment regarding matters of the heart.”
Annie caught her breath. Her heart thumped loudly as she warmed under his gaze.
Chapter Eleven
“You? Empathetic? Since when?” Eddie hooted and broke the magical moment between Rory and Annie. Marie chuckled at Eddie’s laughter.
At that moment, Rory’s mother reentered the dining room, followed by his father. Rory’s mother gave him a sheepish glance before she took the seat that his father pulled out.
“Our apologies for being away so long. Your father is going to have dessert and coffee with us.”
Rory studied both his parents—as did everyone else in the room, he suspected. He caught Annie’s eye, and she nodded with a smile. He could almost hear her thinking. Yes, it did appear as if his parents had some thought to reconcile. His mother had blushed when she was seated, and his father had laid her napkin solicitously in her lap before taking a seat across the table next to Marie.
He wished the best for his parents if that was indeed their plan. He had known them to treat each other with kind affection throughout his childhood, but something had changed over the past few years, bringing his mother to tears more times than he cared to say. Still, if his mother was prepared to forgive her husband, and his father did truly love her, as Annie had surmised, then perhaps their marriage could survive. He certainly hoped so.
At the moment, he had his own concerns—namely Annie. It had not yet been discussed, but he would pick them up and deliver them to the train tomorrow morning—a moment he dreaded with all his heart. How on earth was he going to say goodbye to Annie? It wasn’t as if they might exchange a bit of correspondence once she left. How could he be assured they reached their destination safely? Unable to think clearly at the moment, he thought they might telegraph him when they arrived, but it seemed unlikely that a telegram would reach him from the future. There were so many unanswered questions, so many uncertainties.
Should he try to travel to the future with Annie as Stephen had done with Dani? No, again, he wasn’t thinking clearly. Dani had said that one of the travelers from the future must accompany them to cross through time. If he saw Annie safely to her home in the future, she would only have to turn around and accompany him to ensure he was able to return. Such a conundrum. Of course, there was always the possibility that he might like the future and wish to stay there.
He looked across the table at his mother, his father and Eddie. His traveling had always been a source of grief for his mother. He could only imagine how she might feel if he were to travel to another century.
And Annie. How might Annie feel if he traveled with her? She had not invited him. She had given no hint that she wished him to travel to the future with her. On rare occasions, he thought he saw something in her eyes, a warmth, perhaps even an affection when she regarded him, but that was hardly enough for him to assume that she loved him.
“What do you think, Rory?” his mother asked.
“I apologize, Mother. I was distracted. What do I think about what?”
Rory’s mother repeated the question, and Rory did his best to focus on the subject at hand, which was Eddie’s crewing team.
On the way back to the hotel, Rory sat in silence, debating his options—of which there were almost none, but he could not let Annie go without telling her how he felt. When they reached the hotel, he asked if Annie and Marie cared to take a stroll in the warm evening air. Fortunately for him, Marie declined, stating she wished to return to the room, but Annie acquiesced.
He tucked her hand in his.
“You know that I wished to speak to you alone, I think,” Rory began. He returned the polite nods of s
everal passersby. His heart pounded, and his mouth had gone dry. He felt like a gangly young boy courting for the first time, and he missed the confidence he had once felt with women. Annie humbled him, and he felt uncertain with her.
He heard a sharp intake of breath from her, but her voice was nonchalant.
“No, really? Why didn’t you just say so?”
“It would have been impolite for me to say, ‘Excuse me, Marie, could you go to your room, so I could talk to Annie alone?’”
“Yes, I suppose so,” she answered quietly. “What’s up?”
“Up?”
“I’m sorry, I’m nervous, Rory. That means…what did you want to talk to me about, in this case?”
“Ah… What’s up?” He repeated the words.
“Rory,” Annie said in a warning tone.
“Yes, what’s up. Well, what I wish to say is…” Rory swallowed hard. “You know, for all my flirtatious ways, which you have shown me are markedly similar to my father’s, I feel as shy as a schoolboy at the moment.” He paused and stopped to face her, taking her hands in his. “I love you, Annie. I know it seems premature to declare myself, and yet those are the words I want to say to you…am compelled to say to you. I love you.”
Annie opened her mouth as if to protest.
“No, hear me out. I know you have committed to returning to your own time with your sister, and I understand you must go, but I wanted you to know how I felt about you before you leave.”
“Oh, Rory,” she sighed.
Rory’s heart seemed to stop. Annie was about to tell him she regarded him kindly but did not return his feelings. He had never been in this position before, and had no earthly idea what to do, but he thought he could not bear to hear the words.
“No, say nothing, Annie,” he said in a strangled voice. “I only wished to express my feelings for you, but in no way are you obligated to return those sentiments. And as I give the matter more thought, I realize that by declaring myself, I have put you in the most uncomfortable position. I know you are grateful for the assistance I have rendered you and your sister, which was minimal at best, and you must now struggle with expressing appreciation and yet disabusing me of any notions beyond gratitude and a measure of friendship. Please forgive me, Miss St. John. I only hope I can forgive myself for placing you in this untenable position.”